The Jam and Jelly Lady

Here's a new/old idea (new to the canning newbies who are coming out of the woodwork these days!)  Instead of a cookie exchange this Christmas, try a canning exchange!

I hosted one with our Master's Class students.  Each person brought 12 jars of one special jam, chutney, etc.  They had the jars nicely decorated, and the recipe tied to each jar.  What a beautiful arrangement on our table after everyone unloaded their booty for trading!

I made a Thai Dipping Sauce.  I traded for Basil & Garlic Vinegar, Banana Bread Jam, Strawberry and Honey Jam, Peach Salsa, and Asian Plum Sauce, just to name a few.  I was SET for holiday entertaining!!

I used the vinegar to enliven a Jamaican Jerk Chicken recipe on my indoor grill.  The jams were a welcome addition to my Christmas morning buffet.  The Plum Sauce was inhaled by my friends on New Year's Eve when I served grilled chicken skewers.  And the salsa, well...  I saved that for my husband and I to savor one quiet evening when the kids had gone back to school. 

Don't forget to make sure the folks you invited to your canning exchange know how to can!  Preserving is a serious business, and you don't want a "corner-cutter" to join your soiree, only to end up giving all your guests an unwanted illness!

www.jamandjellylady.com for more information about our products and classes. 2011 schedule coming soon.  Email us to get on our waiting list.

Our delicious Christmas Jam is now available in quite a few Dayton-Cincinnati locations.  I'd like to list the most frequented ones here:

Butcher Bill's - Mason:  Bill is quite the Butcher!  His meat is outstanding, so it is with great pride our jams are sold at his meat market located at the corner of Tylersville and St. Rt. 42 (by UDF).

Picture This - Lebanon:  A plethora of locally-made artwork, pottery, OSU gifts, and Christmas Jam!  I'll be giving a tasting in this shop the day Lebanon hosts the nation's largest candlelit horse-drawn carriage parade: Dec. 4.

Heritage House - Lebanon:  On the corner of Mulberry and Broadway, this unique gift shop also features work from Ohio artists, and JAM! 

Liberty Western - Lebanon: On SR 42, this western shop is more than saddles and feed!  Their boots and moccasins are to die for.  Dan has a wonderful selection of our jams here.

Valley Vineyards - Morrow: Private label jams (that we make for them) infused with their own Honey Mead, Champagne, and Ice Wine.

The Workshops of David T. Smith - Morrow:  David is a legend amongst magazines like Country Living, Midwest Living, and Ohio Magazine.  He and his artisans hand-carve every chair, bowl, cabinet, and bookcase.  Of course, he wanted an American-made jam as well!  American Country Christmas open Fri-Sun, 3-9 till Christmas.  Kids pottery, bonfires, pony rides, and the nearby Big Tree Plantation for your tree.

Christmas Jam has been our best-selling jam month after month, for many years.  It's a combination of all the best Ohio berries:  blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries.  They're cooked together with only cane sugar and organic lemon juice added - no pectin, citric acid.  We cook the luscious berries until they gel on their own.  

The flavor of jam without pectin is much richer and fruitier than those made with pectin.  Why?  Pectin is a thickener.  It "freezes" a jam into a thick gel, long before all the excess water is cooked out of the berries.  In addition, pectin enables jam makers to add tons of sugar to the recipe.  I know of canneries whose ratio fruit to sugar is 1:3.  Our ratio of 2:1 is much tastier and healthier!  

Right now, we are running our annual holiday special: order a case of Christmas Jam and we will customize your label for FREE.  For example, you can put a family greeting (e.g., Merry Christmas from the Smith Family) or a company greeting (e.g., Season's Greetings from Ace Woodworks).  Just order online or call us and tell us what you want on the label.  If you order a few more jars than a case, that's OK, too.  We'll label 13, 15, as long as it's greater than 12 jars (a case).  

 We ship anywhere in the contiguous 48 states.  And with good help this year, we're ahead of our production schedule (sigh!  We'll enjoy the holidays!), so don't feel that you're late in ordering.  We start accepting orders as early as July, and will continue taking them until December 10.

Happy Holidays! 

Yesterday marked our last Beginner's Boot Camp for the year!  That's always both a relief and a somber time for me.  I've been canning and teaching hard since May, so I actually got to spend a few minutes sitting with my husband today - just sitting - no interruptions - just enjoyed one another's company.  A rare moment around this place!

But the end of the canning year is a time to reflect as well.  I looked at my records, and this year I taught over 120 people not just a cooking technique, but a tradition that they can safely pass on to future generations.  That is a feeling of success for me.  I NEVER knew this little canning itch of mine would impact so many others' lives... 

Yesterday, I had the priviledge of teaching a nutritionist (those folks really know good technique when they see it), a husband and wife team (trying to get back to the basics), a homesteader, and an experienced canner who yearned for more scientific background, plus a few more good folks.  It's a pleasure seeing through their eyes the first time they pour a good strawberry jam into a clean glass jar, filling the void with the rich red color.  And when we taste the jam poured over pound cake with whipped cream...  Mmmmm...

Thanks to all these delightful folks who participated in class, brought their canners in for testing, asked ALL good questions, and shared their own information about CSAs, u-pick farms, etc.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Expecting a hard day's work in the cannery today.  NOT expecting to develop a new jam that has rocked my world!

We coined it Winterberry Jam.  Granted there IS a winterberry holly, but it's not an edible berry!  The edible berry I most associate with winter is the cranberry.

I had an early delivery of cranberries.  I usually make Cranberry Chutney out of cranberries, but wasn't quite ready to get into that.  So I made a new combination that is decadent: cranberries, strawberries, cinnamon, and brandy.  All flavors that remind me of chestnuts roasting on an open fire...  I don't think I've ever licked a pot so much!! :)

We take our show to the Cincinnati Holiday Market this weekend (Friday through Sunday), and I plan to showcase Winterberry Jam there!  Stop by our booth for a nibble.  If this weekend doesn't work for you, drop by the Wildflower Cafe in Mason for a taste.  I'm packaging them up a big quart of this new jam for them to serve with their house salad and warm bread.

Now all I need is SNOW!! Yay!

As the holidays fast approach, we at the cannery are working seven days a week to cook our customers' favorites: 

Christmas Jam: Our best seller contains blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries!  Great stocking stuffer or Christmas gift.  And if you order a case online, we'll customize your jars with your family name for free!

Cranberry Chutney: A spicy condiment loaded with cranberries, pineapple, onions, brown sugar, vinegar, etc.  Perfect for a side dish for turkey, or spread it on late-night Dagwood sandwiches!

Traffic Jam:  You know when you are in a "jam", how you get a little hot under the collar?  This fun jam is the colors of at traffic light:  tart red raspberries, yellow sweet apricots, and roasted green jalapeno peppers.  Add a touch of cumin and cayenne, and this is a delectable topping for cream cheese, brie, or a fantastic glaze for turkey, pork loin, and chicken breast!

Apple Cider Butter:  Traditionally, plain apple butter is made by steaming apples in water, then adding pounds of sugar to make up for all that water!  We chop locally grown Lebanon apples, steam them in fresh-pressed local cider, then mill the sauce, bake it for 15 hours, and finally season it with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.  NO SUGAR!  Just sweet, rich apple-y taste!

Visit our site today: www.jamandjellylady.com

Or give us a call to place an order or ask questions about our high-quality products!

Our November Beginner Canning Boot Camp is almost full, and it's not until the 20th!  Looking forward to teaching these folks how to can SAFELY. 

Anyone can buy all the equipment to can, but in our cannery, we focus on giving beginners the intellectual equipment you need.  If you are armed with food safety knowledge for canning, you can problem-solve your way out of any situation!  That's why our classes are 6 hours, not 30 minutes...

More thorough description is available on our website. 

There are 3 spots left in this hands-on class.  Taught in our cannery located at 1941 Hart Road, Lebanon, Ohio.  Register online today.  There is a discount for students who register in pairs because it is always good to have a "canning buddy." 

www.jamandjellylady.com

Had a wonderful celebration this evening at Valley Vineyards in Morrow, Ohio, as they released three new signature jams at their monthly Grand Tasting.  The Jam and Jelly Lady is producing these jams using Valley Vineyards' magnificent Ohio wines:

Ice Wine and Pear Jam

Honey Mead and Peach Jam

Champagne and Strawberry Jam

We served these delicious wine-based jams to customers using warm brie, butter tarts, and also roasted pork loin (glazed with the Honey Mead and Peach). 

If you live in the area, stop by Valley Vineyards and taste our newest collection of hand-made, no-pectin jams.  They are intensely flavorful and wildly fun as Christmas gifts!  You can also order them online through www.valleyvineyards.com

Last night we hosted a packed Master's Class entitled "Sinfully Rich Variations on Apples."

Started by creating Caramel Apple Jam.  We steam the apples in cider, milled them into apple sauce, and then cooked homemade caramel to finish the jam.  To add our own unique twist, the class decided to add a little brandy to the pot, too.  It was delicious on ice cream!

The second half of class was Vanilla Spiced Apples.  For some, it was their first time ripping a vanilla bean - that's always fun!  Our apple slices were bathed in cinnamon, vanilla bean, and nutmeg. 

Of course, I sell a variation of these on our website, and am posting a lovely recipe for making your own apple strudel.  When my family lived closer, it was my Christmas tradition to open a few jars of Spiced Apples and make each family unit a warm apple strudel to enjoy Christmas morning.  I put each strudel in a bright white pastry box tied with a floppy, sparkly red bow.  Sharing our harvest with others in such a fine fashion really set the Christmas tone for me.

Thanks to all the great students who participated last night.  Chad, you're an amazing bottle washer, comedian, and friend.  Siewtin - your contributions all always hysterical!  I got two emails this morning for the "canning doctor!"

Have a great day, everyone. I'm heading into the cannery to stoke up some Strawberry Rhubarb Jam now!

Wonderful Canning Boot Camp today, ladies!  I am hoarse and exhausted after six hours, but I had a marvelous time teaching and learning!  Most of you found out about our classes through our Local Harvest blog, which is very gratifying.  If you have anything comments about what you learned or how you learned it, please leave them on the "user review" section of our Local Harvest page. 

I especially enjoyed the laughter and camaraderie.  Rosemary, I'll be using your analogy of "barriers" of safety for a very long time.  How appropriate!  Count on OSHA to put for the best argument for food safety!!

Mary, Lynn, and Elizabeth - I expect to see your children in the Hamilton Cty fair next summer!  Remember, julienne, not medallions! lol!

Tona, your dry wit kept me in stitches!  And your keen observations kept the class on their toes! 

Thanks, Collene, for taking pictures.  I enjoyed hearing your case for clean foods and about your trip to Ireland where there were no preservatives in anything, and the portions were so much more controlled than in our society.  You added so much to the class.

Susan, I know your grandbabies will really appreciate spending time with you canning foods that they'll treasure all year.  I respected your point of view about importance of healthy school lunches and the scary problem of obesity in schoolchildren.

I just finished cleaning the kitchen and prepping fruit for tomorrow's canning, so it's off to bed!  I'll have NO problem finding sleep tonight!

Only a few more Saturdays at the West Chester Farmer's Market.  My, how fun it will be to sleep in past 5:30 on the weekend!!  But I'll miss the early morning cuppa joe from La Terza, watching the kids squirm in line for snow cones, and listening to the buzz of the crowd and farmers as they discuss the weather, crops, organics, and bees.

After the market ends, I'll still be attending Winter Market once a month up through Christmas.  You can pick up your Christmas Jam case orders during those markets if you wish.  Don't forget your customized Christmas Jam labels! 

Here's the deal: if you order a case of Christmas Jam (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries), we'll customize your labels free.  For example, you could write "Merry Christmas from the Smith Family" or "Season's Greetings from Acme Plumbing."  (The last one reminds me of Bugs Bunny - remember Acme products? lol) 

Christmas Jam is $6/jar, and there are six jars to a case, so a case is $72.  The jam is handmade in our cannery.  It is the perfect holiday gift to have on hand for the postman, paper boy, unexpected holiday guests, teacher, office mates, etc.  It's even more special to the recipient when your personal greeting is on it, too!

We have 1 more open position in our Beginner's Canning Class this Sunday from 12-6.  We'll be making strawberry jam and glazed carrots - yummy!  In the middle of class, during break, I'll make a quick trifle using some of the jam that the students just made.  Goes perfectly with an afternoon cup of tea or coffee!

Been so busy getting ready for fall shows that I've not had the chance to add a canning tip for quite a while!  Sorry - I'll rectify that in late October!

I hit a new canning record this week.  As our customers know, we still hand-pour each and every jar.  My single fall employee was not available for personal reasons this month, so the bulk of preparing for the shows fell on me!  Of course, the kids and husband helped label, inventory, wash pots, mop floors, load cases into vans, etc, but they have school and work, too, and aren't around much.  Three times this week I've worked 5:30 a.m. one day until 3:30 a.m. the next!  No naps, but alternating nights I got 6-7 hours of sleep.

My record canning has really taken a toll on my elbow - all that ladling into 1/2 pint and pint jars.  Today I canned 203 jars of Christmas Jam, Blackberry Jam, Apple Cider Butter, and Peach Jam.  My total for the last 7 days was 636 jars.  Ouch! 

However, no matter how much I can, I think we're just going to squeak by on inventory this weekend.  Our two biggest fall shows JUST happen to be on the same date this year!  Applefest (Lebanon, Ohio) and The Country Living Fair sponsored by Country Living Magazine (Columbus, Ohio).  Pete and I are going to man CL for 3 days, while some good friends are going to help our daughter manage Applefest. 

I'm already sad to miss Applefest - it was the very first show for our little cannery, and it was the event that proved to me 15 years ago that my crazy hobby could really be a business!  Over the years, we've made some great return customers who drive hours from KY, MI, and WV to get their winter's supply of Sonya's Salsa, Christmas Jam, Peach Preserves, Traffic Jam, and Cranberry Chutney!  So it was fun today when I got a call from a lady from FL who visits her daughter in OH every fall.  Millie usually comes to Applefest, but she had to leave early this year.  She dropped by and picked up a tidy reserve of Blackberry, Strawberry, Strazzberry, and Peach Jams.  So I got to see some Applefest customers after all!

Have a great time at YOUR local festivals, and support your local canners, bakers, farmers, etc.  Enjoy a hot apple fritter, gorge on fresh, cold cider, and think about that pie-eating contest that everyone dares you to do!  Fall is only once a year!

Still taking canning students for October and November classes!  We've had a great response, but I like to remind folks I need to take December and most of January off for holiday business (and FINALLY some relaxation!)

Register online at our website: www.jamandjellylady.com and remember:

Yes, You Can! can with confidence!

The end of harvest season is in sight, and I'm making plans for some rockin' canning classes this fall/winter!  Let's start filling your pantry with wondrous gifts that you CAN'T buy at the mall!!!

Ever been nervous about canning shelf-stable food - wary of serving it to your family and friends - worried about botulism?  If you want a comprehensive canning class that focuses on food safety as it relates to USDA-approved water bath and pressure canning techniques, Beginner's Class is for you! 

After taking this class, you'll be canning confidently and knowledgeably with a newfound food science background.  I'm offering one Beginner's Class: October 3, Sunday, noon till 6.  Maximum 10 students.  The second class is on Saturday, November 20, 10-4. $75 per person. Please register and pay on our website!

I'm also offering four Master's Classes in October and November.  You must have completed our Beginner's Class before registering for Master's Classes because I will NOT address food safety in Master's - we concentrate on recipes and techniques. 

On Wed., October 6 at 6:30 p.m. I'll teach Sinfully Rich Apple Variations, featuring Spiced Vanilla Apples and Caramel Apple Jam.  $25 per person.

On Wed., October 27 at 6:30 p.m., I'll teach Holiday Preserves I.  We'll learn Cinnamon & Cayenne Pickled Pears and Cran-Strawberry Butter.  Bring a small basket to hold 2 jars - I'll teach you how to make a wired bow and we'll professionally wrap your basket with the preserves you made this night.  One gift down!  $30 class cost.

On Wed., November 17 at 6:30 p.m., I'll teach Holiday Preserves II.  We'll learn 5-Pepper Jelly and Brandied Cardamom Peach Jam!  Bring a very small basket that will hold 2 1/2-pints of preserves so that I can teach you how to "finish" your gift!  $30 class cost.

Finally, at 6:30 on Monday, November 22, I'll teach one last Master's Class for the year.  I hadn't planned on adding this session, but a customer pointed out that after the November 20 Beginner's Class, I'd not offered any more Master's Courses before the holidays, and she really wanted to learn more about cool canning gifts before that time.  Silly me for not noticing that glitch in the schedule!  Stay tuned for the class description for this date.  Should have it figured out by September 14.  Thanks for your patience!

Online registration, only, at www.jamandjellylady.com!  Let's Can!

Harvest time is almost over, and we're working overtime every day of the week to can the best peach crop we've seen in years!  We'll be taking our entire inventory of salsa, jams, relishes, conserves, preserves, and fudge to the first of several fall shows: The Miamisburg Starving Artist Show. 

Years ago, the food director of this show tasted our Chocolate Fudge at a farmer's market.  I rarely take fudge to market - only when it isn't too hot.  He and his wife went crazy for it, and invited us to join this Show, which had a huge waiting list. 

Years later, we still cook about 50 lbs of fudge for this show.  Peanut Butter, Chocolate, and Tiger Strip (in honor of the Cincy Bengals).  I usually gain a few pounds the week before the show, tasting each and every batch of fudge! 

We'll be at the show with our line of preserves on September 11 and 12.  This show truly heralds fall for me.  The leaves are starting to crisp, Sunday's crowd is thin when the Bengals are playing, and I'm usually able to can my first batch of Apple Cider Butter for the customers!

Happy thoughts of a cool fall...